[Lady_Di]

Originally Posted by theoddz

I've had a Femme self identify herself to me ONCE, and let me tell you, it couldn't have come at a better time, too!!

I was in the hospital a few years ago having a total knee replacement and those idiots (the surgical staff) put a LATEX foley (urinary) catheter in me. Well, it shut my kidneys down and was super painful. I kept telling my nurses how badly it was hurting, but they'd all dismiss me and tell me "Oh, no one is comfortable with those". I actually went into a full reaction with that and got little to no sympathy.

Until the second day, when I got a wonderful woman named "Lisa" for my nurse. Lisa was a Femme, thankG-dinSunnyHeaven!!!! She told me so, since I was just in my first year of transition at that time, but she recognized some of my more subtle changes and knew I was trans. When she introduced herself to me at the first of her shift, she gently leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, you have "family" here and I'm going to take good care of you.". I know I had tears in my eyes when I realized what she was saying and I asked her, almost joyfully, "Are you a Femme??", to which she smiled and said, "Let me put it this way....My significant other is very masculine." Well, I told her my sad story of hurting so badly, and no one would listen, and could she please check the catheter and see if something was wrong. Well, she ended up pulling that damned thing out and she told me it was latex!!! She saw to it that I immediately got some medication to take my allergic reaction down. It took about a week, total, to get the reaction under control, but my kidneys finally started up and making urine again. I don't know what I'd have done without Lisa, that wonderful Femme, and her determination to take such good care of me. Thank G-d for her!!!!

Ladies, you DO make a difference to us, bois, boys, Butches and fellows. Don't be afraid to take those extra measures to let us know who you are. You might be quite pleasantly surprised!!!

~Theo~

On one hand this makes me so proud of my profession and the femmes that abound within. On the other hand, I am so pissed off that the rest of the staff there treated you so poorly. Could have fricken killed you and they would have been none the wiser. Really sad, but a valuable lesson here. I will always defend each and every patient I get, especially the ones that the rest of the staff abhor or dismiss for whatever reason. And I have seen many biases and supposed reasons for their dismissive attititudes. Bottomline it is unethical in a profession that prides itself on the very highest of ethics and honesty. I think the nursing board needs to be forewarned of such bs, imnsho. They have the power to educate and demand equal and fair treatment to one and all. Fight the good fight, mon ami.